lunch lady land
a look at 7 days of lunches
Hellooo, hellooooo from your friendly, unexpected “expat” in central Vietnam. Today’s missive is a lunch lady report.
I’m about to share…
One week in lunches.
Here in Da Nang, Vietnam.
Not a best-of. Just, lunch by lunch.
The first week of August. A matter of fact.
The following is true. Let me break down what’s coming.
Hi, I’m vegan. I live in Vietnam. It’s no problem finding somewhere to eat….to the point of near comedy. There are traditional Vietnamese chay [vegetarian/vegan] options in every neighborhood I spend time in.
I’ve settled into my new routine. I mostly work nights, and it makes sense to go out for lunch. Most days.
These quick lunches are an easy, normalizing, purposeful part of my daily routine. Sometimes solo, sometimes with a friend.
The food is genuinely interesting, versatile, and yes yes yes “low priced”.
My typical lunch cost is 30,000 VND for a bowl of soup, noodles or rice & toppings. That’s just over $1 USD. Not boasting / being real. : )
And! I always try and remember my own reusable water bottle.
❉ Saturday, August 1st:
Mì Quảng noodles from a local chay/vegetarian eatery in my neighborhood I hadn’t been to since last rainy season. Time, flying.
Noodlewise, I dug the bright colors, the noodles, the toasted peanuts, the-just-enough warm turmeric-tinged broth, strong herbs, and the creme de le creme I spooned on top, aka the funky,pleasing umami of mixing in some good chao. Satisfaction.
❉ Sunday, August 2nd:
Bún Thịt Nướng [chay-style] grilled ‘pork’ vermicelli noodle bowl from Quán Chay Bảo Long in Thanh Khê. I was nearby visiting the shiny new AEON mall and planned a handy dandy lunch stop. Once again, it had been ages. I walked in knowing exactly what I wanted to order, and as as a white lady on the cityside, that did surprise the staff a bit. Nonetheless, all smiles.
This meal contained SO much flavor & texture & fresh & savory & chill & herby & crunch & chew of “meaty” goodness. All the things. Plus! There was julienned daikon for that extra element of tangy / crisp / something something. The tasiest rendition of Bún Thịt Nướng I’ve had in memory.
❉ Monday, August 3rd:
Scenes from a Bún Riêu lunch date at Chay Đại Bình.
Bright, tangy and a little funky are the key words you may come across when researching this classic Vietnamese soup. I dig the falling-apart-in-a-good-way, natural sweetness from the tomatoes, and crumbled, seasoned tofu standing in for the crab meat in this chay take. I’d order this one again. I’d say pass me the chili oil, but it’s in my hands already.
BTW, I’ll point out 2 more things with this bowl:
1) Riêu is pronounced closer to “real” vs. roo.
2) This was a lunch date where my non-veg friend dug his own order of another dish - and I say this fondly - as that’s not always the case. Shucks. <3
❉ Tuesday, August 4th:
Cơm Thập Cẩm aka Mixed Vegetarian Rice at Quán Chay Như Ý
Here’s the deal.
You can walk into most of the local vegetarian restaurants and quickly sit down with a solid plate of rice and mixed toppings. You get that day’s prepared assortment of tofu, veggies, seaweed, gluten, jackfruit, ‘shrooms, and/or whatever they have going on.
Bonus points with this one, given for the star power of bitter melon and that serving of Cơm Gà, fo sho.
Add a little soy sauce, chili jam or paste, maybe a bit of chao, and tah dah.
That was lunch, check.
—> Read way, way more on that rice dish via this October ‘25 chay corner missive
❉ Wednesday, August 5th:
Hi, I cooked! Oh, my gosh. So fulfilling.
Here’s (another) lentil soup with the last of my Rancho Gordo French-style lentils from a short-lived, then just-started, exclusive bean club subscription. Duh, from my past life.
This soup rocked the colors & flavors & nutrients of sweet potato, pumpkin , mustard greens, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, shallot, chiles, fresh turmeric, cumin, curry powder, paprika and moooooore.
It all goes in there. That’s soup. Toasted sourdough baguette on the side.
❉ Thursday, August 6th:
Bún Chay = brothy, nourishing noodles from Quán chay Khai Nguyên
What can I say? I saved the lentils for dinner, and swapped to soup out & about for lunch. This is a spot I try to hit early. My go-to order is this house “vegetarian vermicelli noodle soup” and it hits-the-spot. What you’re seeing is what it is. It’s warming and what I want. Even on a hot day.
I break up a chili to immerse and occasionally bite, add a little soy sauce, squeeze of lime, and chili paste. Spoon, spoon spoon spoon spoon chopsticks back to spoon. Mhmm. Done.
❉ Friday, August 7th:
Hello again to the lentil soup. This time with a new loaf of flaxseed sourdough from a bakery I like. Great, fueling, wholesome meal.
Okay, okay.
Back to noodles as I found the time to finish up this missive...
❉ Tuesday, August 11th
Mì Cay lunch date at Quán Chay Phước Vegan in Hai Chau
Light broth, plenty of veg, generous tofu, welcome seaweed.
This one, mì cay, is a “trendy” Korean Vietnamese ramen soup with a spicy tomato base that’s popular in the evenings and late nights. I’ve had it before at this particular quan chay, and couldn’t resist for lunch, despite the sweaty bike ride and daytime sun. : )
Added chili flakes, tossed the onions (iykyk) and caught up with a friend and totaled up on my noodle-osity.
It’s one of my very favorite things to order.
What are you having for lunch lately?
This was all intended as a succinct lunch report. Then, the backstory flowed.
Wait! And for once, more edits than the norm on this niche personal substack. I’d share the backstory again of the New York to Alaska to Asia of it all, but…it’s already there.
More gossip on our next lunch date!
References + Relevant Links:
the chay corner returns with rice rice baby, these particular scone archives october 12, 2025
crossover episode, scone stuff March 23, 2025
How To Make Bún Riêu, Jen Dao’s recipe
+ The Restaurants:
Thanks for the lunch report girl! Very cool to see what you’ve been eating over there
Twice to Như Y in one week?! Amazing! Now I am very hungry. Missing these precious lunches with amazing food and friends ❤️